Apparatus for converting wort into beer.



No. 734,985. PATBNTED JULY 28, 1903.

C. SPINDLER. l APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING WORT INTO BEER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 5, 1902. l

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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` No. 734,985. PATENTED JULY`2V8, 1903.-

.C.. SPINDLER.-

APPARATUS FOR GONVERTING WORT INTO BEER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 5. 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 28, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.`

APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING WORT INTO BEER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,985, dated July 28,1903.

Application led May 5, 1902. Serial No. 105,929. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs SPINDLEE, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Converting Yort into Beer, of which the following is a full andcomplete specication, such as will enable those skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for the manufacture offermented liquors, particularly beer; and it has for its object toprovide an improved apparatus of this class which shall be superior froma standpoint of continuity and efficiency of operation, comparativesimplicity in construction, compactness in form, and in the obviation ofthe use of a number of separate apparatuses the use of which iscustomarily incidental to processes involving the employment ofapparatus of this class.

In another application for Letters Patent led simultaneously herewith,Serial No. 105,930, filed May 5, 1902,71 have described the improvedprocess involved in the use of the apparatus which constitutes thesubjectmatter of the present application.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form apart, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated by the same reference characters ineach of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved apparatus, showing the same installed in operative arrangement;and Fig. 2, a central vertical sectional view ofthe essential featuresof the said apparatus, taken upon the line oo a: of Fig. l.

Referring Vto the drawings, my improved apparatus embodies acylindrical'casing 3, comprising an inner shell 4 and an outer shell orjacket 5, which shells or jackets are preferably cast or otherwiseformed integrally, and between the shells or jackets 4 and 5 is anannular space or chamber 5, adapted to receive a cooling medium, such asbrine.

The jacket 5 is provided with a suitable inlet 7 and an outlet 8 forbrine or other cooling substance or medium and is also flanged Vareledthrough the jacket 5 and arranged eX- teriorly of the casing 3 inconvenient position.

The casing 3 is provided with a bottom member 12, which is enameled uponits interior wall and comprises an inner shell 13 and an outersteam-jacket 14, provided with a steam connection 15 and acondensed-water outlet 1G, and between the shell 13 and jacket 14 is aspace or chamber 14, adapted to receive steam which is used as a heatingmedium. The said bottom member 12 is connected with the main casing 3,preferably by means of a soft aluminium gasket 17, the bottom member orcasing 12 being iianged outwardly, as at'18, to correspond with theflange 9 of the casing 8, which iianges 9 and 1S are suitably connected,as at 19, and the gasket 17 separates the spaces or chambers 5a and 14.

The casing 12 is provided with an upwardly-iiaring bottom portion 20,within which is revolubly mounted a yeast-scoop 2l, operated by acranked shaft 21 and which conforms in its general formation to theformation of the inner wall or shell 13 and is of a suitablecrescentformation to cause a general agitation of the yeast within thecasing or bottom member 12 toward the center of the same. The casing 12is provided at the base of the same with a yeast-outlet 22, providedwith stopcock or valve 23.

At the side of the casing or bottom member 12 is arranged a beer-outletand wort-inlet tube 24, which embodies a bent tube 25, preferably ofaluminium, which can be turned in a stuiiing-box 26, so that the innerverticallyarranged end portion 27 of the same may be disposed in varyingaltitudes as desired, and the tube 24 is provided with a handle 24, bywhich it may be turned, and it will be understood that the parts 24, 25,and 27 together constitute the beer-outlet and the wort-inlet and allturn together, as will be readily understood.

The top member of the casing 3 consists of a single convexupwardly-curved shell 28, which is also preferably enameled upon itsinner wall and provided with a manhole 29,

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a yeast-charging inlet 30, a safety-valve 3l, a CO2 outlet at 47, and astufling-box 33, in which an agitator 34 is mounted for revolutioncentrally within the casing Mounted on said top member 2S is a frame orsupport 35, in which is mounted beveled gearing 36, whereby through themedium of operating means 37, of any preferred type, the agitator 34 maybe revolved. The agitator 34 embodies a hollow shaft 3S, provided at itslower end, within the casing 3, with a plurality of wings or blades 39,which are of hollow i'ormation, communicating' Awith the interior of theshaft 3S and provided with openings 40, through which the sterilized airand the GO2 are discharged within the casing At the upper end of theshaft 38 is provided a stuffing-box 4l, in which it revolves, and aheader 42 is connected with said stuffing-box in communication with thehollow shaft 33 l and communicating at one end, as at 43, with thesterilized-air supply and at the other end,

as at 44, with the C()2 supply 45. y

The blades 39 of the Vagitator 34 are preferably set diagonally or outof the horizontal plane, so as to create a thorough agitation of thecontents of the casing 3 in the revolution of the agitator and so as tocause a continuous interchange of positions or interminglin g of thecontents of the casing 3, and thus effect a quicker cooling orsterilizing of the wort, as well as to agitate the wort and yeast in athorough manner.

The enameling of the several parts, as before set forth, producesacideproof surfaces which are not affected by the various substancescoming in contact with the same and will, furthermore, withstand thevarious changes of temperature. The agitator, the beer-outlet pipe, andthe yeast-scoop are preferably formed of aluminium or of an alloy ofaluminium and nickel, although any metallic composition or alloy heavilysilver-plated can be used with satisfactory results.

The CO2 may be stored in a suitable tank, as at 45, communicating withthe C()2 inlet 44, said tank being charged by a compressor 46, to whichthe CO2 may return from the casing 3 from a CO2 connection 57, arrangedin the top member 28 of the casing 3.

The yeast is supplied through the yeast connection 30 from a suitablepure-yeast cultivation plant or supply 4S, of the usual or any preferredconstruction. Suitable pipings may connect the several parts of theapparatus, according to any desired scheme or any desired installationof the apparatus.

In the operation of this apparatus I take the wort from the hop-jack inas hot a condition as possible and place the same in the casing 3, inwhich the said wort is cooled by brine passing through the chamber 5a,and to avoid a vacuum, as well as to aerate the wort to the requiredextent, I agitate the wort by mea-ns of the agitator 34, at the sametime introducing or supplying sterilized air. If any doubt exists as tothe purity of the wort, I

sterilize the same before sowing it with the yeast, which may be fromsix to twenty-four hours after it is placed in the casing 3, and thencool the wort again to a temperature of from about 40 to 60o Fahrenheit.If .the wort is unquestionably pure, I sow the same as soon as cooledwithout sterilizing with yeast from the pure-yeast cultivating plant 48,which may be of any form or construction and the details of which arenot shown and described. After the wort is charged or sown with yeast Ioperate the agitator 34 periodically or about every three hours, theperiods of agitation and rest being; preferably equal and being eachabout three hours in duration. The object of this intermittent agitationis to avoid settling or precipitation of the yeast to or at the bottomof the casing 3 in the state of rest or in the formation of lumps andrather to have the germs work in the most productive or increasing orgerminating way, so as to complete the fermentation within three or fourdays. For two-thirds of this period of time I keep the safety-valve setat r about four pounds pressure, and during the latter third of theperiod I close the safetyvalve and collect the generated CO2 and storethe same for carbonizing or resaturating purposes, and the foregoingoperation constitutes a method of forced fermentation. As soon as thepressure decreases when the yeast is worked out or the attenuation hasreached the proper degree I stop the agitator and let the yeast settleto the bottom. After settling I may remove the yeast by means of theyeastscoop 2l and the outlet 22, or when I have sufficient vessels onhand I can force the beer into an empty vessel by means of anair-pressure or CO2 pressure, using the adjustable beer-outlet 24, bymeans of which the beer may be drawn or removed from the extreme bottomof the apparatus or from a point or points higher up. During thefermenting period I cool the fermented wort gradually to about 34oFahrenheit on the fourth day and maintain a low temperature during theremainder of the process. On the fifth day I charge the wort with CO2 ata pressure of about iive pounds, gradually raising the pressure to aboutfifteen pounds, though always blowing off on the safety-valve in orderto remove the young bouquet or green avor and working the agitatorcontinuously, and this aging or resaturating process can be accomplishedeither after the removal of the yeast or in another vessel. At the endof the sixth day, if necessary, I can rack off the beer into packages,though I prefer to keep the beer until the ninth day under pressurebefore it is racked off for the market.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An apparatus of the class described,com prising a closed jacketedcasing having a closed jacketed bottom whereby spaces or chambers areformed between the body of the IOC IIO

casing and the jacket thereof and between the body of the bottom and thejacket thereof, said chambers or spaces being separated; a yeast-inlet,a CO2 outlet, and a safety-valve connected with the top of said casing;a yeastoutlet connected with the bottom of said casing; abeverage-outlet and wort-inlet connected with the bottom of said casing;and a yeast-scoop in the bottom of said casing and adapted to beoperated from beneath the same, substantially as shown and described.

2. An improved apparatus of the class described, comprising` a closedjacketed casing having a closed j acketed bottom whereby spaces orchambers are formed between the body of the casing` and the jacketthereof and between the body of the bottom and the jacket thereof; ayeast-inlet, and a C()2 outlet, connected and a safety-valve alsoconnected with the top of said casing; a yeast-outlet connected with thebottom of said casing; an adjustable beverage-outlet and wort-inletconnected with the bottom of said casing; a yeastscoop within the bottomof said casing and adapt-ed to be operated from beneath the same; saidjacket-ed casing` being also provided with means for supplying a coolingmedium thereto at the bottom thereof; means between the body portion ofthe bottom and the jacket thereof, said chambers or spaces beingseparated; a yeast-inlet, a CO2 outlet, and a safety-valve connectedwith the top of said casing; and a beverage-outlet connected with thebottom of said casing, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing' as my invention I have signedmy name, in presence of the subscribing` witnesses, this 2d day of May,1902.

CHARLES SPINDLER.

Vitnesscs:

F. A. STEWART, F. F. TELLER.

